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Quora Answers: If I wanted to get my podcast sponsored, how do I do that?

The first step is documenting your audience and the amount of traffic your podcast attracts. With this information, you will be able to develop a press kit which you can use to approach potential sponsors. They will want to know that you are speaking to their potential buyers on a regular basis.

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Gathering demographic info for your listeners can be difficult, as podcast listeners seem to be notoriously shy of surveys. You can hold a contest as a way to increase survey response, though.

As for podcast statistics, you will probably need your raw log files in order to capture the total number of downloads for each episode. Then you can aggregate them to create your total monthly downloads. These downloads will include both new shows and older shows as people do not often listen in order, or find older episodes and listen directly from the web site. This number will show you the number of “impressions” you might be able to fulfill for a given sponsor.

Make sure when you develop any sponsorship campaign that the sponsor has a way to track exactly how many buyers came from your podcast. There should be a unique product code or coupon which they can track on their end so they don’t have to rely on you for that reporting. If they are tracking it themselves they will be much more trusting of that info.

Here is an example of a podcasting press kit – http://www.businesscast.ca/media…

Read more answers to this question

Top Careers in New Media Post for 2010

  1. What do you need to live video stream your event?

  2. Claim your business online with Foursquare and Google Places

  3. Feedburner Email Subscriptions

  4. 10 Tips for better Skype Audio and Video Calls

  5. Ning.com removes free option

  6. Event: All-day podcasting workshop at mLearnCon in San Diego, California

  7. I Like This – April 16, 2010

  8. VoiceRegistry Podcast: Douglas speaks on New Media/Social Media Strategies for Voice Actors – Part 2

  9. I Like This – March 18, 2010

  10. I Like This – May 26, 2010

  11. I Like This – April 8, 2010

  12. I Like This – April 30, 2010

  13. Elsewhere Online: How Adam Carolla Became a Podcast Superstar from Fast Company

  14. VoiceRegistry Podcast: Douglas speaks on New Media/Social Media Strategies for Voice Actors

  15. New Media Books by my Friends

  16. Question: Should I stay on Facebook?

  17. YouTube offers new type of EMBED code for videos

  18. From Blogger to WordPress after all these years

  19. Career Prescription #3: Use Facebook

  20. [Tip] New Media Assignment: Capture your great ideas

  21. Douglas talks Skype on New Media Tea Time via Skype!

  22. Question: How do I make automatic backups of my WordPress blog database?

Real World Example: Sharing with others – Blizzard video

When I discuss New Media with folks, they often say “What do I have to say that is interesting to other people?” This video gives a great example of how all of us have something interesting to put out there in the world.

I think this video is a great illustration of how much snow fell and how it effects everything.

What small events can you capture and share with others? What is important in your life? If you find it important, interesting, funny, touching, chances are someone else will too.

Now get out there and make some media!

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse. Canon DLSR on tripod with remote timer taking a photo once every five minutes.

Approximately 20 hours in 40 seconds.

Facebook: Mike Black Photography

Audio: 5th Annual Live Reading of A Christmas Carol

Tonight marked our 5th Annual LIVE Reading of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. We had some new voices this year and had a great time as usual. You can listen to the entire show using the link below.

Consider having your own reading of A Christmas Carol, or other favorite story, as a way to gather friends together and share a unique experience. You don’t have to broadcast it like we do, but why not share it with the world!

This year’s show was sponsored by WelchWrite.com, Eclipse-1 Media and New Media Interchange.

Listen to 5th Annual Live Reading of A Christmas Carol

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Enjoy more Christmas Carol in your own home!

Free download of “A Christmas Carol” – Text/ePub/HTML/Kindle versions available

Free download of our reading script of “A Christmas Carol” – PDF format

The audio CD of Patrick Stewart’s one man version of A Christmas Carol is absolutely amazing. We saw the show several times here in LA and met Patrick one evening. His version of “A Christmas Carol” was the driving factor in starting our own yearly reading of the story.

More “A Christmas Carol” on Amazon.com

Audio: Douglas speaks to the Independent Filmmakers of the Inland Empire

On December 15, 2010 I had the pleasure of speaking to the Independent Filmmakers of the Inland Empire on their 1st Anniversary. I talked about how they could use New Media to expose and support their work using New Media tools and also by using the group as a consortium were everyone benefits from each other’s success.

Listen to “Douglas speaks to the Independent Filmmakers of the Inland Empire” (31 mins)

New Media Gift Guide #15: Sams Teach Yourself WordPress 3 in 10 minutes

#15 Sams Teach Yourself WordPress 3 in 10 minutes

Chuck Tomasi, fellow Friends in Tech member and co-author of Podcasting for Dummies, along with another Friends in Tech member and podcasting partner, Kreg Steppe, have a new book out that would be a great gift for anyone interested in blogging and New Media.

WordPress is my first recommendation when someone wants to get started with blogging, but it can be a little intimidating. It is very powerful and with power comes complexity. That said, this book can help to jumpstart your WordPress knowledge and help you be productive.

There is also a companion podcast to the book, WordPress in 10, available from the author’s web site.

From Amazon.com…

“Sams Teach Yourself WordPress in 10 Minutes gives you straightforward, practical answers when you need fast results. By working through its 10-minute lessons, you’ll learn everything you need to build great blogs with WordPress and WordPress.org, and reach any audience by web browser, RSS, or cell phone!”

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New Media Gift Guide #14: Deluxe Cardioid Stereo Lapel Microphones

#14 Deluxe Cardioid Stereo Lapel Microphones

I have a set of microphones very similar to these and I find them invaluable for getting great, close mic’d sound for my videos. Since it has 2 microphones, it is great for recording interviews, too.

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New Media Gift Guide #13: Microphone Pop Filters

#13 PS-101 Proscreen Pop Filter

If you are going to be “working” the microphone for your podcast — perhaps one of the mics mentioned earlier in the gift guide, you are going to want a pop filter to got along with it. These shields of material or metal break up the air from your “plosives” so they don’t get recorded. The most notorious ones are the dreaded “popping P’s”.

More pop filters from Amazon.com

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New Media Gift Guide #12: Apple iPod Nano

#12 Apple iPod Nano

If you are creating podcasts, you probably listen to them a lot, too. I have been looking for a replacement for my old iPod Video 30GB. Looking back I realize I never really used it to watch much video but I still have a need to hold a bunch of podcasts. I listen a lot in the car, probably more than I listen to the radio. I think the new iPod Nano might meet my needs. The size would certainly make it easier to carry around and I think 16GB of storage would be plenty, based on my current list of shows waiting to be listened to..

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New Media Gift Guide #11: LED Video Light Panel

#11 LED Video Light Panel

Almost every New Media video project can use better lighting and LED lighting panels are one way to get it. These panels of various size can be mounted on your camera or stands to provide just the light you need. Even better, LED units don’t throw off the sometime tremendous heat of traditional video lighting.

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New Media Gift Guide #10: Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone

#10 Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone

I was reading the Podcasters mailing list this week and saw mention the the Blue Snowball mic I mentioned earlier is being discontinued. This new USB microphone, the Yeti, is taking its place in the product line and has some good reviews. One major enhancement is the inclusion of an headphone jack to allow real-time monitoring when you are recording. This is a limitation of USB mics in that trying to monitor them through the computer induces a delay in the audio and makes it nearly impossible to listen to yourself while you record.

Certainly worth checking it out and I plan on doing that as soon as I can.

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New Media Gift Guide # 9: Rode VideoMic Directional Video Condenser Microphone

# 9 Rode VideoMic Directional Video Condenser Microphone

Audio is more than half of your New Media presentations. Even if the video is a bit jerky or grainy, most viewers are willing to struggle through if the content is good. On the other hand, bad audio can cause your viewers to “change the channel” without hesitation. Step up your new media production with this shotgun directional microphone. This type of microphone helps to knock out extraneous noise and allow you to place your camera further from your subject without sacrificing audio quality.

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New Media Gift Guide # 8: Apple Final Cut Express Video Editing Software

# 8 Apple Final Cut Express Video Editing Software

While Apple’s iMovie is quite functional for creating most podcasts and web shows, there will come a time when you will want (or need) to step up to a more fully-featured video editing system. Final Cut Express gives a place to grow without hitting your pocketbook as hard as the complete Final Cut Express suite.

I regularly move back and forth between iMovie and Final Cut Express, depending on the project. One typical use is when I want to sync externally recorded audio with video I shot in a noisy environment or in a situation when I needed to position the camera too far away to capture decent audio.

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New Media Gift Guide # 7: GoPro HD HERO Camera – Wearable 1080p HD Video and Still Photo Camera

# 7 GoPro HD HERO Camera – Wearable 1080p HD Video and Still Photo Camera

My friend, Ric Turner, introduced me to this HD camera. It is specially designed for capturing your outdoor adventures in full 1080p HD glory. It comes with a waterproof casing and it can stand up to some extreme abuse. There are mounts for your mountain bike, safety helmet and even your surf board, if you are so inclined. the quality of the video is amazing and truly bring your viewers along for the ride.

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New Media Gift Guide # 6: Samson C01U Condenser Microphone

# 6 Samson C01U Condenser Microphone

Another great suggestion for a beginner or intermediate podcaster. This USB mic connects directly to your computer without the need for a mixing board or traditional mic cables. Great sound at a relatively inexpensive price.

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New Media Gift Guide # 5: Podcasting for Dummies

# 5 Podcasting for Dummies

Although podcasting is entering its 6th year, there are still new people discovering it every day. If you are interested in diving into the nuts and bolts of podcasting, and new media in general, you would do well to look to the second edition of what was one of the first books on podcasting. Learn about microphones, web servers, RSS feeds, iTunes settings and more.

One of the co-authors for this edition of Podcasting for Dummies is fellow Friends in Tech member, Chuck Tomasi, who produces a number of podcasts. You can fund links to all of them over at ChuckChat.com.

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New Media Gift Guide # 4: Blue Snowball Microphone

# 4 Blue Microphones Snowball USB Microphone

This is one of the first microphones I recommend to anyone looking to begin audio podcasting or looking for a step up in the audio for their video podcasts. As a USB microphone, it doesn’t require a mixing board or cables to use. You simply connect it to any USB port on your computer and start recording.

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New Media Gift Guide # 3: Joby GP1 Gorillapod Flexible Tripod

# 3 Joby GP1 Gorillapod Flexible Tripod

Whether you are taking stills or video, a tripod always makes your work look better. These portable tripods by Joby give you amazing flexibility, both literally and creatively. With adjustable, bendable legs, you can use the tripod on a table or the ground as you normally would, or wrap the legs around a sign post or tree limb to make use of whatever your environment provides.

These tripods are a great complement to the Flip UtraHD video camera highlighted earlier, but also work with any camera with a standard tripod mount. Those with larger Digital SLR cameras will want to go for the beefier version — Joby GP3 Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras

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